Find a job 
Featured Companies 
Featured Universities 
For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and optimise Pret's data systems, ensuring performance and reliability.
- Company: Join Pret, a global leader in on-the-go food and drink, transforming into a digital powerhouse.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive salary, 33 days holiday, private healthcare, and free lunch!
- Why this job: Be part of Pret's exciting digital transformation and make a real impact with data.
- Qualifications: 5+ years in database management, strong SQL and Snowflake skills required.
- Other info: Collaborative culture with opportunities for growth and legendary parties!
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 85000 £ per year.
About Pret
Pret is an international on-the-go food and drink retailer founded in 1986. Our purpose is to make every day a little bit brighter, through organic coffee, freshly prepared food, and exceptional customer service to millions of people. Pret runs hundreds of shops across the UK, France, USA, and Hong Kong, with additional shops run by franchise partners around the world. Pret is transforming from a bricks-and-mortar focused retailer to a truly customer-centric digital business with a leading consumer brand that aims to stand for more than just ‘freshly made, healthy food, to go’. We’re aiming to better understand our customers and their preferences, so now is an exciting time to join us!
The Role
The Principal Data Systems Engineer will be instrumental in ensuring Pret’s data infrastructure is robust, performant, and reliable. You will take ownership of the end-to-end management of Pret’s SQL databases and cloud-based Snowflake platform, enabling the business to efficiently store, manage, and access critical data for analytics, reporting, and operations.
Reporting to the Lead Data Engineer, you will collaborate closely with the Data Engineering team and business stakeholders to optimise database performance, troubleshoot issues, and ensure high availability and security across all environments. This role will combine hands-on technical expertise with thought leadership, helping shape Pret’s data strategy and supporting the delivery of scalable, high-quality solutions. As part of a highly skilled and collaborative team, you will champion modern database best practices, automation, and continuous improvement to unlock the full potential of Pret’s data.
Responsibilities
- Take ownership of Pret’s MSSQL Server and Snowflake environments, ensuring high performance, reliability, and scalability.
- Design, implement, and optimise database architectures and data storage solutions to support data pipelines and analytics requirements.
- Monitor, troubleshoot, and resolve database performance issues, including query optimisation, indexing, and resource management.
- Collaborate with the Lead Data Engineer and Data Engineering team to build and maintain efficient ETL processes for ingesting and transforming data.
- Lead database backup and recovery strategies, ensuring data integrity, availability, and compliance with business requirements.
- Drive database security best practices, managing roles, permissions, and encryption to protect sensitive data.
- Support the delivery of CI/CD pipelines, enabling automation and seamless deployments across SQL and Snowflake environments.
- Provide expertise in query optimisation and data modelling to support reporting, analytics, and application performance.
- Collaborate with stakeholders across Operations, Finance, HR, and IT to ensure database solutions align with business requirements and objectives.
- Stay up to date with emerging tools, technologies, and best practices in database administration and cloud-based data platforms.
- Promote a culture of knowledge sharing, coaching team members, and driving continuous improvement across Pret’s data infrastructure.
Skills and Experience
Essential:
- 5+ years’ experience as a Database Administrator or Data Engineer with strong hands-on expertise in MSSQL Server and Snowflake.
- Proven experience designing, implementing, and optimising relational database solutions to support high-volume data workloads.
- Expertise in query optimisation, indexing, partitioning, and database performance tuning.
- Hands-on experience managing ETL pipelines and ensuring efficient data ingestion and transformation processes.
- Strong understanding of database backup, recovery, and disaster recovery strategies.
- Experience with database security, including user roles, permissions, and encryption.
- Proficiency in scripting languages such as SQL, Java, Python and PowerShell for automation and database orchestration.
- Familiarity with CI/CD tools and processes, including automating deployments across SQL and Snowflake environments.
- Strong problem-solving and troubleshooting skills, with the ability to work in a fast-paced environment.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with technical teams and stakeholders.
Desirable:
- SnowPro Core or Advanced Certification, MS SQL certifications.
- Experience with Azure Synapse, Data Factory, and Logic Apps.
- Familiarity with distributed data processing frameworks such as PySpark.
- Knowledge of Terraform for Infrastructure as Code.
- Experience developing CI/CD pipelines with tools such as GitHub Actions.
- Experience in database performance tuning, query optimisation, and monitoring tools.
- Familiarity with event-driven architectures for real-time analytics.
Why Join Pret?
- Responsible for Pret’s core data infrastructure, ensuring reliability, performance, and security.
- Play a key role in Pret’s digital transformation journey, contributing to innovative and scalable data solutions.
- Work in a collaborative and learning-focused environment with cutting-edge tools like Snowflake, Mule and Azure.
- Competitive salary, benefits, and opportunities for growth and professional development.
- Make a tangible impact by enabling data-driven decision-making across Pret’s global operations.
If you are a technically skilled DBA or Senior Data Engineer with expertise in SQL, Snowflake, and database performance optimisation – we’d love to hear from you!
Pret Offers
- £75,000 - £85,000 plus annual bonus
- 33 days holiday a year including Bank Holidays
- Private healthcare
- Life assurance
- Pret pension scheme
- Season ticket loan
- Free lunch and drinks
- 50% discount in Pret shops worldwide
- Great reward and recognition events
- Legendary parties
Closing date 5th January
Principal Data Systems Engineer employer: Pret A Manger
Contact Detail:
Pret A Manger Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Principal Data Systems Engineer
✨Tip Number 1
Familiarise yourself with Pret's mission and values. Understanding their focus on customer-centric digital transformation will help you align your skills and experiences with their goals during discussions.
✨Tip Number 2
Network with current or former employees of Pret, especially those in data roles. They can provide insights into the company culture and specific challenges they face, which can be invaluable during interviews.
✨Tip Number 3
Stay updated on the latest trends in database management and cloud technologies, particularly around Snowflake and MSSQL. Being able to discuss recent advancements or best practices can set you apart as a knowledgeable candidate.
✨Tip Number 4
Prepare to demonstrate your problem-solving skills through real-world scenarios. Be ready to discuss how you've optimised database performance or resolved complex issues in previous roles, as this is crucial for the Principal Data Systems Engineer position.
We think you need these skills to ace Principal Data Systems Engineer
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV highlights your experience with MSSQL Server and Snowflake, as well as your skills in database performance optimisation and ETL processes. Use specific examples to demonstrate your expertise.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: In your cover letter, express your enthusiasm for Pret's digital transformation journey. Mention how your background aligns with their goals and how you can contribute to their data strategy.
Showcase Relevant Projects: If you've worked on projects involving database management or cloud-based solutions, include these in your application. Detail your role and the impact of your contributions to highlight your hands-on experience.
Highlight Soft Skills: Pret values collaboration and communication. Make sure to mention your ability to work effectively with technical teams and stakeholders, as well as your problem-solving skills in fast-paced environments.
How to prepare for a job interview at Pret A Manger
✨Showcase Your Technical Expertise
Be prepared to discuss your hands-on experience with MSSQL Server and Snowflake. Highlight specific projects where you designed, implemented, or optimised database solutions, and be ready to explain the challenges you faced and how you overcame them.
✨Demonstrate Problem-Solving Skills
Expect to encounter scenario-based questions that assess your troubleshooting abilities. Prepare examples of past database performance issues you've resolved, focusing on your approach to query optimisation and resource management.
✨Emphasise Collaboration and Communication
As this role involves working closely with various stakeholders, be ready to discuss how you've collaborated with teams in the past. Share examples of how you communicated complex technical concepts to non-technical colleagues, ensuring everyone is aligned on project goals.
✨Stay Updated on Industry Trends
Pret values innovation and continuous improvement. Research the latest trends in database administration and cloud technologies. Be prepared to discuss how emerging tools or best practices could benefit Pret's data strategy and infrastructure.
